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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797318">First Kisses We Didn't Have</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TippenFunkaport/pseuds/TippenFunkaport'>TippenFunkaport</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Clueless Bow, Dancing, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Glimbow Centric, Kissing, Kissing Lessons, Mutual Pining, POV Adora, POV Bow, POV Glimmer, Princess Prom, Rescue, Romance, Romantic Fluff, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 1, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 3, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 4, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, glow - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:14:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TippenFunkaport/pseuds/TippenFunkaport</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of moments where Bow and Glimmer might have gotten together if things in canon had happened just a little bit differently. </p><p>aka sometimes you make a bunch of super fluffy self-indulgent AUs because the world is terrible you just want cuteness and kissing</p><ul>
<li>Flutterina: Adora and Bow invite Glimmer to join them at the victory party at Elberon and Glimmer parties a little bit too hard<br/>
</li>
<li>Stranded: Bow accepts Glimmer's apology right away.<br/>
</li>
<li>Destiny Part 2: Bow gets to the Fright Zone just a little bit sooner.</li>
<br/>
<li>Reunion: Bow didn't just make up a fake school... he also made up a fake girlfriend.<br/>
</li>
<li>Princess Prom: Nobody gets captured by the Horde and Bow comes home from his date with Perfuma to an angry Glimmer<br/>
</li>
</ul>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>152</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Flutterina</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if Bow and Adora had invited Glimmer to join them at the party at Elberon?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m sleepy!” Glimmer yawned and snuggled up against Bow’s back. It was a long walk back from the party at Elberon and the steady rhythm of walking was rocking her to sleep.</p><p>“How is that possible when you’re not even the one walking?” Bow said from underneath her. Ahead of them, they could still hear Swift Wind and Adora’s ridiculous singing. “I can’t believe you talked me into carrying you. You can teleport, you know!”</p><p>Glimmer went to wave his comment away dismissively and almost slipped off his back. She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck again. Her legs clamped back around his middle and she felt him laugh underneath them. She tightened her grasp on his neck and hoisted herself up high enough that she could see his face.</p><p>He turned around just enough to smirk at her. See? He wasn’t really mad. She flopped over his shoulders until she could press her cheek against his. Mmm, nice soft Bow face.</p><p>“You know, this would be a lot easier if you weren’t moving around so much back there.” He grunted and adjusted his hands on her legs. “My gear doesn’t move around nearly so much.”</p><p>It was probably a whole lot lighter too, but he didn’t say that so she gave him a big wet kiss on the cheek. He raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t comment. She giggled and couldn’t have even explained why. Everything just felt warm and squishy right now. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages. Certainly not since her mom was gone.</p><p>“Are you... drunk?” He asked when her giggle fit kind of cascaded into just a teensy bit of giddy hysteria.</p><p>“So what if I am? I’m the Queen now, I can do whatever I want!” She was rubbing her cheek against the back of his head. “Your hair is soft and fuzzy.”</p><p>“It’s a good thing you didn’t try to teleport home. Who knows where you would have ended up? I told you that punch was stronger than it tasted!”</p><p>“But it was yummy! Mmm. You smell nice. Like... Bow.” She nuzzled back down against his back.</p><p>“You’re going to make me regret inviting you. The party was supposed to be just for Adora, Swift Wind and I, you know. I could have left you back at the castle doing boring Queen stuff and we could have had the glory for ourselves.”</p><p>“But you didn’t and then when the Horde tried to be sneaky and attack again I was there to be like pow! Sparkles! Boom! Besides, you invited me to come with you because you looooove me.”</p><p>“Yeah. I do,” he said softly, and she smiled into his back. She’d never really been this drunk before. It was kind of fun. Everything felt silly and light for a change. Ever since she’d become Queen, the world had weighed way too much.</p><p>“Woo hey, there’s Bright Moon! We’re home!” Adora leaped back into view as excited if she hadn’t actually believed they’d make it back. It looked funny to see Bow’s bow and quiver strapped to She-Ra’s back. Their friend had definitely also had too many cups of punch and she still had green goo in her hair from when she’d tried a little trick arrow archery practice to Bow’s dismay. “See you guys later! Swifty and I are going to go do loop-de-loops!”</p><p>“Don’t drink and fly!” Bow called as Adora dropped his gear at his feet and ran off towards Swift Wind.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’m not drunk! I’m just naturally like this!” Swift Wind called down to them as he lurched off into the sky, Adora whooping and hanging sloppily off his neck.</p><p>Bow grabbed his gear and watched as Adora and Swift Wind looped through the air above Bright Moon, singing that terrible drunken song again. It was some nonsense they made up about how they had the power and the honor of love? It was ridiculous, whatever it was.</p><p>“I really hope he doesn’t drop her,” Bow said as the castle came into view through the trees.</p><p>“I really hope she doesn’t puke on my castle!” She could see the window of her room up ahead, and she squeezed Bow tight enough that he made a strangled sound. With a poof, they were up in her room, crashing awkwardly to the floor. “Whoops, a little too high! Hahaha I LAND on you.”</p><p>“Could you at least warn me before you do that?” Bow who groaned, his gear scattered around the room.</p><p>She rolled off him onto the floor, laughing, her face feeling soft and kind of tingly. She smushed her cheeks with her fingers as she stared up at the ceiling. Who knew she could make so many cool noises with her mouth?</p><p>“What am I going to do with you, your majesty?” Bow had lay down next to her, and she’d totally forgotten he was even there so it was a pleasant surprise.</p><p>“Bow!” She rolled over and wrapped her arms and legs around him. “You are my favorite person!”</p><p>“Your floor is not exactly comfortable. You want me to move you to the window seat?”</p><p>“Pffffffttttt! The bed is the comfy-er-est! I’ll take us there!” She grabbed him and teleported them up to her bed. Well, she teleported them outside first, but they only fell like ten feet through the air before she zapped them back to her bed. They weren’t even remotely close to splatting to their deaths. She didn’t know what Bow was screaming about.</p><p>“No... more... teleporting... until... you’re... sober.” Bow clutched at his chest and tried to catch his breath. She hummed non-noncommittally and lay back down on his chest. His heart was pounding against her ear like bomp-bomp-bomp. Maybe it did that because they’d almost fallen to their deaths a minute ago, or maybe it was because he was secretly in love with her. She pretended it was the second one.</p><p>“This is nice. We never get to hang out anymore. Queens have too much to do.” She traced the heart along his shirt. At some point he’d taken his armor off, which made him much cuddlier. Though he was always pretty cuddly. “I miss my Bow.”</p><p>“I’m here now.” His heart rate was almost back to normal now. Foo. Maybe it was just the near death experience. He brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. “How are you doing over there? I’ve never seen you this loopy.”</p><p>“Loopy? Looooopy. Loopy!” What a funny word! She started laughing again, and it felt like a normal laugh, but the way Bow looked at her, she wondered if maybe it was a loopy laugh. Loopy! Loooopy! Now she was laughing even harder.</p><p>“…I’m going to go get you some water.”</p><p>Before she knew what was happening, he was gone. She cuddled into the warm spot left by his body, but it was not as good. He was back a moment later, sitting next to her on the bed with a glass of water.</p><p>“There you are! I missed you!”</p><p>“Come on. Sit up and drink this. Please? I know you’re having fun now, but I don’t want you to feel sick later.” He was so serious. Serious Bow. Mr. Responsible Pants. She giggled to herself as she pulled herself upright and.. whee spinning room, fun!</p><p>“I want to get you drunk. What is drunk Bow like? I want to see it.” She took a few sips of water and tried to picture drunk Bow. It was kind of hard to picture. Would he get all silly? She put a solemn hand on his knee. “If you got drunk, I would take really good care of you, I promise!”</p><p>“I’m sure you would.” He smiled. Bow had a pretty smile. Handsome? Could you have a handsome smile? She liked the way he was looking at her, it made her feel warm and tingly. Like some kind of eye hug. She started laughing again and almost snorted the water out her nose. He rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “You’re unbelievable. Will you please just drink the rest of that before you spill it everywhere?”</p><p>“You’re unbeliebable! Unvielibeble! You’re the one that’s that thing you just said! You used to just be my buddy Bow, and then you got all big and handsome. It’s confusing!” She smacked him against the chest and then downed the rest of the water. She tossed the empty cup into Bow’s lap. “I’m trying to be Queen over here and fight a war and you’re like, ‘Look at me, I have muscles and I’m all tall and have lips and stuff.’”</p><p>She had the vague feeling she had gotten a bit off track at the end there because Bow was giving her a strange look.</p><p>“You don’t even know what you’re saying, do you?”</p><p>“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.” She aiming for an air of mystery, but she accidentally poked herself in the eye. What had she even been talking about? She put on her most sober face. “But maybe you tell me what I sound like I’m saying and I will tell you if that’s what I was saying in my head... when I said it.”</p><p>“For a minute there... never mind. Maybe you should just get some rest.”</p><p>“Don’t want to.” She sounded like a child but that’s OK, Bow had liked her as a child too.</p><p>“You’re the one who said you were sleepy! Fine, then what do you want?”</p><p>“To kiss you!” She lunged forward and kissed him on the cheek again. He raised one eyebrow at her. Then instead of leaning back to where she’d been like she probably should have, she gave him a quick peck on the lips too. He raised both eyebrows that time and she laughed. Then she leaned forward and did it again.</p><p>“Glimmer. What are you doing?” He furrowed his brows. She tried to smooth them out with her thumb. When that didn’t work she put her hand on his chest and, hey, bomp-bomp-bomp! Nobody was falling through the air right now, so maybe that meant...</p><p>This time she went in slow. She gave him a full minute of her face right next to his to say something, to tell her to knock it off or laugh or something. Then she went for it.</p><p>At first, his lips froze underneath hers and she thought maybe she should say she was only kidding, that it was only because she was drunk, that she didn’t really mean it, that it wasn’t like she’d been in love with him for way too long and too scared of losing him or screwing things up to tell him. But then he relaxed and kissed her back, his lips moving gently against hers, his hand moving up to cup her face. Now it was her heart going bomp-bomp-bomp and maybe it was because she was falling. It would explain the sudden thrill shooting through her entire body.</p><p>Just as she felt like she was getting the hang of this kissing thing, he pulled away. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her, his eyes soft and sad and... oh, no, she’d totally screwed everything up, hadn’t she?</p><p>“Glimmer.” Bow exhaled. “We’re not doing this.”</p><p>“Why not?” Why was she crying? She didn’t want to be crying! She wanted to go back to five minutes ago when everything felt all bubbly and happy and it had actually seemed possible that Bow liked her back. “Because you don’t like me like that?”</p><p>“No.” He reached up and brushed a tear away from her eye. “Because I do. And you’re way too important to me to do this when you’re not yourself.”</p><p>“Oh. Well, that’s alright then.” She sniffed, a fluttering feeling settling into her chest. “But does that mean you’ll kiss me later when I’m back to normal?”</p><p>He flushed. “If you want. I mean, I’d like to. Sure.”</p><p>“OK, good. Then at least that’s settled. I’ll tell the castle staff to clear my schedule for Bow smooching.” Smooching was a funny word too. Especially when she knew she could do it with Bow later. Kissing Bow! Had she seriously just kissed Bow? She giggled and dove to hide her face in her pillow so he wouldn’t see how much she was blushing. “Fine. Then I will take a nap as long as you stay with me.”</p><p>“Of course.” He lay back, and she snuggled up to him. “And when you’re more yourself… we’ll figure this out.”</p><p>“Does figure this out mean kissing? Because I want to do kissing.”</p><p>He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. She was going to go ahead and take that as a yes on the kissing. She cuddled up to him and closed her eyes and held the memory of Bow’s lips on hers close as she tried to fall asleep around the feeling of giddy excitement.</p><p>For the first time since she lost her mom, there was something to look forward to when she woke up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Stranded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if Bow forgave Glimmer right away?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I envisioned all of these being short and silly and this is the ONLY one that actually ended up that way!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora wanted to point out that they really needed to get off this unstable planet before the whole thing fell apart but things were still pretty chilly on the bridge in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature controls. After everything that had happened during that whole ordeal of getting the fuel crystals, the way they’d both come so close to falling to their deaths in that cave, Bow using all of his strength to pull Glimmer to safety… Adora had really kind of hoped all those near death experiences would have set everything between her best friends back to normal. </p><p>But Bow had stormed off back to the ship without speaking to anyone and now he and Glimmer were standing on opposite sides of room, Bow pretending he was ignoring her and doing a terrible job of it. Adora was just wondering if maybe she should say something to try to make peace between them when Glimmer moved over to Bow, looking determined. </p><p>"Look, I know you're still mad at me. Maybe you'll be mad at me for a really long time. I deserve it. And maybe-- Maybe we'll never be friends like we used to be. But I'm not going to stop trying to make it better. I made a mistake with the Heart of Etheria. I should have listened to you and I'm sorry. You get to be mad, for as long as you need to be. But I'm not going anywhere. And when you're ready, I'll be here."</p><p>Glimmer finished her speech and Adora was frozen in place waiting to see what Bow did next. As far as she was concerned, that was a near perfect apology. She really hoped Bow thought so too. If he ignored Glimmer or snapped at her again like he'd been doing since she gotten on board she didn't think her heart could handle it. </p><p>When he didn’t say anything back, Glimmer turned away, her posture defeated. Finally, Bow turned to face her and Adora held her breath. She expected him to take Glimmer's hands, mostly because those two were always holding hands, and instead he reached up and put a hand on her cheek. </p><p>"What if I don't want to be friends like we used to be?" Bow said and for a horrified second Adora thought he meant it in a mean way until she noticed he was smiling. Then suddenly, Bow was leaning down and— whoa!— kissing Glimmer. Like, not just a friendly peck, a real kiss on the lips! Glimmer's eyes widened for half a second before she wrapped her arms around Bow’s neck and pulled him down towards her. </p><p>Awww, yay! Adora smiled. She'd always kind of wondered if those two would ever get together and why it had taken them so long to… if they, uh…  Wow. They were really going at it. Should she leave the room or…? I mean, there was no one else at the controls right now and they really needed to take off soon but…</p><p>OK, um, Bow would know better than her, but she was pretty sure you weren't supposed to sit on the instrument panel? But he'd just lifted Glimmer up and sat her right up on there and… now her legs were wrapped around him and they were leaned up against the… did they forget they weren't alone or what? </p><p>"Hey, so, I'm really happy for you two, like really really happy, but maybe you should move to the bunk room if you're going to…” Nothing. She risked a glance over to see if they were maybe thinking it over or something but, nope. </p><p>She cleared her throat very deliberately but they didn't even come up for air. Whoa, hey, exactly where are you putting those hands, buddy? She turned away but then Glimmer made a sound she definitely wished she could unhear. </p><p>"Hey, so, anyway, guys? I was thinking…" She said it loud enough that she was sure they'd hear her over the various traumatizing noises going on over there. This was so awkward! Gods, was this what it's like when someone walks in on their parents? "I know it's dangerous and kind of crazy but, uh, I was wondering if we could maybe go back and rescue Catra? You know, from Prime's ship? So… would that be alright with you two? Bow? Glimmer?"</p><p>She sighed. You’d think the fate of the universe was at stake the way those two were all over each other right now. Well, they better watch out, once they got Catra back, uh, they’d show them what… I mean, not that her and Catra would… was it hot in here or was it her? OK, now she was on kind of a weird train of thought and maybe she should go take a cold shower or something.  </p><p>“You know what? I’m gonna… I’m just gonna go ahead and tell Entrapta to initiate auto-pilot and you guys just… have fun…”</p><p>She shot finger guns behind her as she left them to it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Destiny Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if Bow had gotten to the Fright Zone just a little bit sooner?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Where was she? Everything ached, from legs to lungs, but Bow pushed himself to run faster. The acrid air of the Fright Zone stung at his eyes and burned with every deep breath while above him the sky exploded with magic. </p><p>Magic from the Heart of Etheria. It poured out of the planet, into the unfamiliar sky. The wider universe, Entrapta had called this strange new night full of stars. </p><p>Oh, Glimmer, what have you done? </p><p>It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except finding her. But how? </p><p>This way was blocked too. He backtracked, cursing. The Fight Zone was a maze of pipes and wires and everything looked the same. There must have been a battle here, entire sections of buildings were blasted away, the metal still scorched and red hot.  Whole chunks of buildings were missing, the ground littered with metalwork and debris. </p><p>He was wasting too much time on dead ends and blocked passages. He needed to get higher. There was an exhaust pipe stretching towards the sky and he used a grappling arrow to scale it. </p><p>What if he was too late? What if the Heart had done something to her and there was nothing left to find, nothing but ash and the knowledge that the last thing he’d said to her, that he’d ever get to say to her was—</p><p>It was easier to focus on the strain of pulling himself upwards with a body already pushed to its limits. Hand over hand, the muscles in his arms screaming. Almost there. </p><p>Something was different. It took him a minute to realize the sky was only stars now, with no magic streaking across it in a pulsing rainbow. Did that mean Adora had managed to deactivate the weapon? Or was this some indication that things were about to get much worse? </p><p>With a grunt, he pulled himself the rest of the way up to the top of the exhaust pipe. The opening at the top was large enough for him to get to his feet and he stood, panting, scanning the mess of metal and machinery below. Something glinted out of the corner of his eye. </p><p>There! Pink hair he’d know absolutely anywhere. Glimmer was lying in what was left of the Black Garnet chamber, the side of the wall blasted away. She was still, much much too still. </p><p>No, please, he couldn't be too late. His heart was in his throat as he fumbled for a rope arrow. He had to get to her. </p><p>Wait! She was moving now and relief washed over him but it was short-lived. Hordak, an evil grin on his face and a huge chunk of metal in his hands loomed over her, his intentions clear. Bow didn't hesitate. Before Hordak could do more than raise his makeshift club, Bow loosed an arrow directly into his chest. It exploded and he fell backward. </p><p>She knew he was there now and it was like a physical ache, the need to go to her, to hold her. She called his name and he told her to stay there, he was coming. His hands were shaking as he fired off the rope arrow but his aim was true and it held. He hooked his bow over the rope and used it to slide down. If he could just get to her before something else happened. </p><p>“Bow!” She called again as she dragged herself towards his anchor point. Never mind that he'd specifically said to stay right there. Gods forbid Glimmer ever listened to him. He landed, barely getting his footing on the edge where the wall had been, and knew immediately something was wrong. </p><p>There was a weird feeling in the air, like static electricity but stronger. He gasped as the air ahead of him glowed a sickly green. Glimmer had seen it too and she let out a strangled cry as the light stretched to envelop her legs. He dove for her, grabbing her hands. </p><p>With the last of his strength, he tugged her towards him and away from that weird green light. The two of them collapsed against what remained of the wall just as Hordak and several chunks of the building around them rose into the air and then vanished completely. The last thing they heard Hordak say before he disappeared was that Horde Prime had come. </p><p>The buzz of whatever had just happened lingered in the air a minute and then the only sound was their own frantic breathing. </p><p>"What was that?" Glimmer was half on top of him, turned away, still watching the spot where Hordak had just been. He could feel her heart hammering against his chest. "Where did he go?" </p><p>"Some kind of… transport beam. Prime must have... must have taken him." He could barely get the words out. Blood was rushing in his ears, his heart pounding against his chest. If he had been even a few seconds later… if Glimmer hadn’t met him halfway… it would have been Glimmer lifting up into the air and all he would have been able to do was watch helplessly as she went where he couldn't follow. </p><p>"You came for me." Glimmer turned to him, her eyes full of tears. Now that he was close to her, he saw how pale and drawn she looked, like she'd used too much magic. "Even after everything—"</p><p>"Shhh." He wrapped his arms around her, so glad to have her there to hold that he didn't care about any of what had happened before. She was shaking, shivering as if from the cold and he pulled her tighter against him. All his anger, all questions about who was wrong or right, none of it mattered right now. He grabbed her face with both hands, his fingers sliding into the softness of her hair. "If I had lost you…" </p><p>She was looking at him, her eyes wide and sad and so achingly familiar. A hundred things he wanted to say and couldn't put into words collided in his mind at once, unlocking things he really ought to have figured out long ago. And at that moment when he'd come so close to losing her, it was all so perfectly clear he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize it. </p><p>His lips crashed into hers, desperate and hard. She made a muffled sound of surprise and then she leaned into him, her hands braced against his chest, her fingertips brushing against the base of his neck. He couldn't pull her close enough, couldn't stand to have them even an inch apart. </p><p>In a lifetime of over-analyzing and second-guessing, for the first time, he thought of nothing but this moment, long overdue, and the perfect rightness of her mouth covering his. She exhaled, softening and he was lost in the warmth of realizing this was exactly what he wanted. What he had wanted for way longer than he’d wanted to admit. At some point, he realized he was crying but wasn't sure if it was from the fear of almost losing her or the elation that they'd found each other like this at last. </p><p>When he pulled away, breathless and flushed, he wanted to tell her everything. How she was amazing and brave and beautiful and meant the entire world to him even when she was stubborn and wrong and infuriating. How she was the most important person to him in the entire world and he loved— yes, loved, and why hadn't he said it before now?— her more than she could possibly imagine. But before he could say anything something cracked above them, like dozens of firecrackers were going off at once. </p><p>They clutched each other and looked up as spaceships began to materialize above them, long thin needles, alien and menacing. They popped into existence against the night sky, looming over the planet. Soon the sky was filled with them, making the two of them huddled together alone in the ruins of the Fright Zone feel insignificant and small. </p><p>"It's Prime. He's here." Glimmer's voice shook. "Oh, Bow, what are we going to do?"</p><p>He didn't know what to say so he wrapped his arms around her as she collapsed against his chest. They’d only just finally gotten it right and the world was ending around them. But he wasn’t scared of Prime, not now anyway, with his best friend in his arms, her taste still on his lips and everything possible for them. </p><p>Whatever happened now, a least they'd face it together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was originally going to be the last chapter but that felt like too much of a bittersweet way to end it so I rearranged the order!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reunion: What if Bow didn't just make up a fake school... he also made up a fake girlfriend?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“… as a scholUUR and historiaAn…”</p><p>Glimmer hid her face in her flowered teacup she so didn’t have to watch the absolute train-wreck that was Adora right now. Was this weird voice she was putting on seriously her idea of “playing along?” A few feet away, Bow’s eye twitched above his fake grin. She should probably try to help him cover for their friend's complete ridiculousness, but she still wasn’t entirely sure exactly what the hell was happening here.</p><p>For starters... Bow had dads? And apparently a ton of siblings? And grew up in a random library in the middle of the Whispering Woods? And was apparently lying about attending some fake school and everything in his entire life? And somehow none of this had ever come up in all the years they’d been best friends?</p><p>She was torn between feeling extremely confused and really freaking betrayed.</p><p>She’d finished her tea and went to set the cup back down on the coffee table just for something to do while Bow was Adora wrangling. One of Bow's dads— the mustache one was George, right?— followed. Oh great! The one who straight up hates princesses, magic, the rebellion and basically everything about her entire existence. But this was Bow’s father, so it’s not like she was going to start a fight with him about it or anything, no matter how much she kinda wanted to.</p><p>Deep breaths. Remember, you’re not a princess. Try to look like someone who studies physics, whatever the heck that looks like. Was she doing a weird smile? She’d somehow completely forgotten what she normally did with her face. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, except this was NOT how she expected to meet Bow’s family, mostly because she always assumed he didn’t have any.</p><p>"It's really great to finally meet you, Glimmer. Gotta be honest, we thought Bow was making you up," George said, leaning in conspiratorially. Wow. Up close, his eyes were so much like Bow’s, minus the wrinkles at the sides. It made her like him despite herself.</p><p>“Oh. Yeah?” She crossed her arms and then uncrossed them again. What did people do with their arms? She had no idea.</p><p>George sighed, watching Bow. "I guess we just weren't ready to face the idea that our little boy had a girlfriend."</p><p>“Oh, haha<em>, </em>yeah.” He has a WHAT? She attempted a laugh, but it was too high, too loud. Luckily George didn't seem to notice she'd mentally short-circuited.</p><p>A girlfriend? Bow has a <em>girlfriend</em>? Who? When? Something hot twisted in her gut and everything felt fuzzy around the edges.</p><p>OK, calm down. Breathe. You’re supposed to be playing along. Besides, it has to be fake, right, like the Academy of Something Etherian Whatever? She unclenched her fists and tried to act natural.</p><p>"From Bow's letters, it sounds he's pretty smitten. I guess you really brought him out of his shell." George gave her a fond smile she hoped she returned because she wasn’t entirely sure she was in full control of her face right now.</p><p>"Uh, yeah. I guess I did."</p><p>Wait. Bow's fake girlfriend… was <em>her</em>? He told his dads they were <em>dating</em>? Why would he do that? Though that explained why he'd randomly put his arm around her when his dads had first come in. Something fluttered in her middle, a combination of relief and something else she wasn’t really sure she wanted to examine too closely right now.</p><p>Her face was on fire and all she wanted to do right now was teleport far away from this entire debacle but this ridiculous facade was too important to Bow and she wouldn’t screw this up for him. On the other side of the room, Adora was up to seven majors, a teaching job and a doctorate in Farrier Science and Bow looked like he was about to have a complete nervous breakdown. Probably up to her to save him. That idiot was lucky she loved him. She passed between Adora and Lance until she was next to Bow and opened her mouth to say something, but now she wondered…</p><p>Was she standing too close to Bow? Or should she move closer? It felt kind of close. Though wasn’t this how close they always stood? Did that mean she was always standing too close to Bow or not standing close enough to pass as his girlfriend?</p><p>She shuffled back and forth for a second before finally blurting, “Hey, so, Bow?” She put a hand on his arm but that felt weird so she took it off again immediately. “Uh... honey?”</p><p>Gods, this was awkward. If the earth swallowed her up right now, she would be totally fine with it. Bow’s eyes widened as he realized she knew about the whole girlfriend thing. He immediately flushed and looked at the floor. Hey, buddy, you created this nightmare! Though there was some small solace in the fact that he looked as embarrassed as she was.</p><p>She forced her face into what she hoped was a normal smile. "Shouldn't we ask your dads about the, um, thing? With Serenia?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah! The... school project we've got to do. Good thinking... darling?"</p><p>Really? Darling? She was going to kill him.</p><p>He gave her a look that was equal parts “I’m really sorry, please, I’ll explain later, just play along for now!” and totally puppy dog eyes. She glared at him but it was more of a, “Fine, I’m doing it aren’t I? Let’s just get this over with!” kind of glare than angry. He gave her a “Thank you soooo much! I love you! You’re the best!” smile. She rolled her eyes but her heart did that little flip it always did when he looked at her like that.</p><p>Then Bow started feeding his dads this whole story about how they had this puzzle from school, but she wasn't really listening because halfway through he'd reached down and slipped his hand into hers. Which was… something. They'd held hands before, obviously, but always for battle relevant, saving each other, teleportation related reasons never, like, recreationally. And it was… different. His hand was warm in hers and a little sweaty and now was consuming the entirety of her thoughts. She slid her thumb along the rough patch of callused skin between his fingers for a second before she realized what she was doing and froze.</p><p>His dads had collected them a large stack of scrolls and data chips in First Ones writing which they could have gone through in half a second if Adora was with them but as soon as Bow's dads realized she could read First Ones, they wanted to pull her away to translate something else.</p><p>"Besides," Lance said, with an exaggerated wink, "we should really give the lovebirds some time alone."</p><p>"Lovebirds?" Adora was looking between them with a look of total confusion. "You mean Bow and Glimmer? Because they're—"</p><p>"Dating!” Bow dove at Adora, pulling his arm around her shoulders like a physical restraint. “That's right, Adora! But my dads, they already know that<em> Glimmer is my girlfriend,</em> so it's fine!"</p><p>He was staring at Adora with a look that said, “Please, just this once, take the hint and stop talking!” Adora nodded, gave an obvious wink and took the completely wrong hint. </p><p>"Oh, <em>RIGHT</em>. Uh, yes, and I am, uh, also Bow's girlFRIEND,” she said, in that absurd voice she was still using for some reason.  </p><p>"No, Adora, that's not—" Bow's plastered smile was getting increasingly stretched and manic.</p><p>"And we ALso have a fourth—or fifth? I'm losing track here— partENner named Swift Wind." Adora hesitated when Bow started digging his fingers into her arm. "Unless that's not a thing? Then, uh, maybe I am Glimmer's girlFRIEND because I am a lesBIAN—"</p><p>"Haha, very funny, Adora!" Bow laughed, but it was definitely not a good laugh. He looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. This whole thing would almost be funny if it wasn’t clearly so important to him. "But maybe you should go see what it is my dads want and not make anymore <em>jokes</em>."</p><p>"Ahh, yes, I make jokes and that's beCAUSE I have a—What are we up to? Ninth?—maJOR in COMedy..." She was still going as she and Bow's dads walked up the staircase to the other part of the library and out of earshot.</p><p>The second his fathers were out of sight, Bow collapsed onto the couch. "This is a disaster."</p><p>Glimmer picked up the nearest scroll, but she couldn't even pretend to concentrate. She threw it back down onto the stack and rounded on Bow.</p><p>“Glimmer? What’s up?” He sat up, concern etched across his face.</p><p>“What’s up with <em>you</em>? You have a secret family and you’re supposed to be a historian and you told your dads I'm <em>your girlfriend?</em> What the hell, Bow?” She was keeping her voice low because the others were only just upstairs, but she was half a second from completely exploding on him right now and she wasn’t even really sure why. There was a mess of emotions roiling inside her, and she didn’t know whether to scream or cry.</p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I really am. The truth is, I pretend to be someone I’m not when I’m with my family because the truth would hurt them. And I know I made this awkward for you but… they’re my family and sometimes, I don’t know…” He pulled his knee up to this face and sighed. “Sometimes I wish I could at least tell them about the most important parts of my real life. Like my best friend. So I did. Sort of.”</p><p>Damn it, now she was crying. But she would not let him get out of this that easily. “You could have just told them I was your friend, you didn’t need to make it weird!”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to! After everything with you getting kidnapped and then glitching and the battle at Bright Moon, I didn’t want to be away from you. And I told my dads that while they were on my case about not coming home and they got it all twisted and thought I didn’t want to leave because I was in love with you and I just kind of… let them think that. I panicked!”</p><p>“In a letter?”</p><p>“Look, I'm sorry, OK? I didn’t think it would be a big deal because you’d never actually meet them. Besides, it just seemed like, well, if my dads have to think I’m in love with somebody it might as well be you, right? You’re the only person who knows everything about me, Glimmer. The real me.”</p><p>Glimmer sniffed and tried to dry her eyes. He was giving her that look again, the one that made her feel all gooey, but that was only making the tangled lump of emotions worse. Because dating Bow, Bow being in love with her… those were things that she hadn’t even thought were real options and that made this all hurt in a way she couldn’t properly explain.</p><p>Bow reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “If it really bothers you, I’ll fix it. I'll… tell them I broke up with you.”</p><p>"What? So you're dumping me?" She couldn’t even look at him, just at her tears making dark purple dots on her shorts. None of it was even real. Why couldn’t she stop crying about this?</p><p>"OK, fine. Then I'll say you broke up with me." Bow sounded frustrated, which only upset her more. </p><p>"Oh, sure, make me out to be the bad guy!"</p><p>“Glimmer, please. What do you want me to do?”</p><p>“I don’t know! This is your stupid plan! You’re going to have to break us up eventually, right? Or are you just going to lie to them forever?”</p><p>“Not forever, just for the… foreseeable future. I mean, it would probably get a little silly when I had to make up kids for us and stuff, especially because my dads would probably expect to be invited to the wedding, though I guess I could have us elope—”</p><p>“Argh!” Glimmer shrugged his hand off her shoulder and got to her feet. In half a second, she’d blown through the double doors and out into the hallway. She didn’t know where she was going to go, she just knew she couldn’t deal with Bow right now and the mixed-up feelings this whole situation was stirring up she’d already decided after Prom were better off buried DEEP down.</p><p>There was some kind of darkened alcove at the end of the hallway, and she headed for it. The space wasn’t very large, some kind of restoration area for artifacts that weren’t ready for the display cases she guessed based on the assortment of brushes and tools lying around on the desks. She couldn’t find a lamp, but enough light was coming in thorough the small window on the back wall that she could see well enough. Something glinted, a pale purple gemstone just like the one she wore.</p><p>Which princess did this belong to? She turned it over in her hand. She was just noticing with a hollow feeling how badly damaged it was when she heard frantic footsteps and a harsh whisper of “Glimmer!”</p><p>“Leave me alone, Bow,” she whispered back without looking.</p><p>“You can not be in here!” Bow grabbed the gemstone from her hand and replaced it on the desk. “And especially don’t touch anything!”</p><p>“This is princess stuff! I have more of a right to it than your dads do!” She was going to snatch the gemstone back just to spite him, but then something caught her eye across the room. She headed towards it and Bow followed, looking desperate.</p><p>“Come on, Glimmer! If my dads knew we were even in here, they would freak. I’ve never been allowed in here, not ever. They’re so weird about the magic stuff, they don’t even keep it, just restore it and—What did I say about touching?” His voice cracked as he pulled her hand away before she could touch that cool-looking flower staff thing. “I’m serious! We need to get out of here. Anyone steps into the hallway, there’s no way out without them knowing we were in here and then they’ll figure out you’re a princess and that I’ve been lying and they’ll be so disappointed in me I’ll be disowned and they’ll never speak to me ever—”</p><p>Bow gasped. Footsteps.</p><p>“Hide!” He whispered, grabbed her and pulling them both against the wall between the bookshelf and the door. And just in time, too. There was the unmistakable sound of someone opening the hallway door.</p><p>“I could telep—” Before she could finish, Bow shushed her.</p><p>He shifted closer, trying to stay out of view of the doorway. There wasn’t a lot of room in this corner and he was really close, their faces only a few inches apart. She was sandwiched between the wall and his body, close enough that she wasn’t entirely sure whether her heart was racing or his.</p><p>Bow watched the doorway, chewing at his lower lip. His eyes widened as there was what sounded like a crash and footsteps started up again, coming closer.</p><p>“They’re coming. How are we going to explain why we’re in here? We need to, uh…” He looked around, but there wasn’t really anywhere else to go. His eyes flicked from the doorway to hers and an unfamiliar heat shot clear through her body. “Quick. Kiss me.”</p><p>“What?” She swallowed. Of all the things she expected him to say… There was another noise, louder this time, one that could have been a footstep or maybe part of the house falling apart for all she knew because he’d closed the gap between them, smooshing his lips against hers and she was having enough trouble remembering how to breathe.</p><p>She was kissing Bow. Her friend Bow. And it was… kind of weird? Not half as impressive as everyone made kissing out to be, anyway. Probably because they were only pretending to kiss—though it felt kind of real from where she was standing, with the lips touching and everything—and also because it was Bow, her best friend, but with his face all awkwardly smashed up against hers.</p><p>Well, maybe she could fix that part, so at least it was a little more comfortable. She slid her hand up under the collar of his shirt until she was touching his bare neck, his skin soft under her touch. She guided his head back a little, breaking the kiss. Then she leaned forward and caught his lips again, softer this time.</p><p>OK, yeah, that was way better.</p><p>Everywhere they touched tingled, electric. But she needed to remember, they’d only started this because… because… wasn’t there something…</p><p>All she could think about was the tangy taste of tea on his lips and underneath that something completely familiar and brand new at the same that must just be him. The thought sent a flutter through her middle and she wrapped her other arm around him, wanting more.</p><p>Bow leaned down into the kiss, moving his lips against hers, warm and firm. His hand gripped her waist, and she was dimly aware that there was some kind of loud smashing noise in the background but couldn’t bring herself to care. She pulled him closer, definitely starting to understand what all the fuss was about now that they had the hang of it.</p><p>“Uh, guys?”</p><p>They pulled apart automatically. Glimmer opened her eyes to see Bow, flushed and surprised, his face breaking into a wide grin. They both laughed, breathless. Gods, he looked so adorable right now. She just wanted to grab his face and kiss him again, right now, and maybe never stop. She might have too if the floor hadn’t rocked underneath them as the noises of before resolved themselves into what sounded remarkably like the roar of some kind of monster on a destructive rampage in the room next door.</p><p>As one, they turned to Adora in the doorway, looking harried. “Hey, so, uh, sorry to interrupt but… we have a problem.”</p><p>—</p><p>Glimmer wiped a happy tear as she watched Bow’s dads envelope him in one more tight hug. They’d already made plans to come back and visit, maybe even have them over to Bright Moon to have dinner with her mom. It was exciting to think that now that his family finally knew the truth, they could start sharing in Bow’s real life. Adora was apologizing for the billionth time for accidentally activating the elemental monster that trashed their library, but since it had shown his dads just how amazing her Bow was, she was feeling kind of warm towards it.</p><p>“Alright, Lance. That’s enough. Let’s let these kids get back home.” George waited until a tearful Lance had released Bow and clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “We love you, son. No more secrets. OK?”</p><p>Lance wiped his eyes and put a hand on both Glimmer and Adora’s shoulders. “It was so nice to meet you both. Bow is lucky to have such wonderful friends. And I especially looking forward to getting to know you better on our next visit, Glimmer! Wait until we tell the rest of the family that Bow’s girlfriend is a princess. Ha! They’ll never see that coming!”</p><p>He pulled them both into a hug and Glimmer exchanged a guilty glance with Bow over his Lance’s shoulder. Oops. With all the chaos of the elemental and coming clean about his role in the rebellion, they’d never explained that she and Bow were not actually dating. Which meant there was still one more lie out there.</p><p>Lance released them and Glimmer shifted uncomfortably, dreading the scene to come.</p><p>“Uh, actually, dad…” Bow rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at her. She flushed, knowing they were both thinking about that maybe not as pretend as they’d planned it to be kiss. And then it was like an image she’d never been able to quite make out before suddenly clicked into focus. “The thing is… Glimmer and I—”</p><p>“We’d like to tell them ourselves. If you don’t mind.” She walked over and grabbed Bow’s hand, linking her fingers between his. His face immediately lit up, and she had to keep herself from laughing for no reason other than she felt giddy with happiness.</p><p>“Ah, young love!” Lance cooed as they called their last goodbyes and started walking home.</p><p>As Bow’s dads disappeared behind the trees, Adora was giving their clasped hands a puzzled look.</p><p>“Wait. So are you guys actually dating? That wasn’t just part of the bit?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah. Yeah, we are,” Glimmer said. She and Bow exchanged a look, and then both burst into goofy grins. Why did she have a feeling that was going to keep happening for a while? He tugged her a little closer to his side, and she felt warm all over.</p><p>Adora shrugged and then turned back to the path. “Huh. I always wondered.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Princess Prom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Princess Prom: Nobody gets captured by the Horde and Bow comes home from his date with Perfuma to an angry Glimmer</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>People kept asking why this section took so long and, yeah, it's because it was longer that all the other sections combined. And I cut it down, I swear! *sobs*</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late by the time Bow trudged into his room at Bright Moon, physically and emotionally wiped from Princess Prom. It had been a pretty fun evening… mostly. But his dress shoes were killing him after hours of dancing, and between chatting with people at the party and riding home with Perfuma, he’d completely exhausted his supply of small talk. There was nothing he wanted more than to completely forget about this whole weird night. </p><p>At least nobody was captured by the Horde or anything. </p><p>He kicked off his shoes and was strongly considering collapsing into bed without even taking off his suit when he noticed there was already somebody in his bed. </p><p>He sighed. Glimmer. Still in her dress from the ball, the fluffy tulle skirt poofed up around her legs, making her look like a toppled purple bell. </p><p>He rubbed his face, watching her sleep in the bit of light from the window, feeling somehow even more bone tired than before. Maybe he should go find a random couch to go pass out on. The long ride home had been a jumble of confusing emotions he couldn't even properly sort out because Perfuma wouldn't stop talking about what a close call that had been with the Horde and what if Bow hadn't caught them placing those heat bombs in time and wasn't that Scorpion princess sort of hot? </p><p>Or he could just climb into bed next to Glimmer. It wasn't like they hadn't done that before. Then maybe tomorrow they could just wake up and pretend nothing had happened and everything would go back to how it was before. He wanted that option more than he wanted to admit, but it didn't feel right to after... whatever the heck had happened between them today. </p><p>He'd finally decided to go find somewhere else to sleep when she sat up, looking rumpled and disoriented. </p><p>"Bow?" She sounded so young. It reminded him of another Glimmer he used to know, also infuriating but in less confusing ways. It was amazing how one person can be the person you care about most and also be the one who irritates you more than anything. </p><p>“Hey.” He flipped on the bedside light and sat down next to her on the bed. She squinted, her hair a spiked up disaster. Glimmer always looked so cute when she'd just woken up, but he tried to hold on to the spark of anger he'd been nursing all night. </p><p>Glitter from her dress was all over his sheets. He lifted his hand from the comforter, his palm covered sparkles. Great. He was going to look like her tomorrow. </p><p>He wiped his hand on his pants, trying to keep his thoughts straight. "Glimmer, what are you doing here?"</p><p>"Me? It's my castle! I can go wherever I want!" She crossed her arms, making her look like an angry formal hedgehog. It would be cute if she wasn’t being so annoying right now. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to spend the night with..." She made a strangled sound and then glared even harder at him. "Maybe I don't even want you back here! Maybe this is my new battle practice room and you... you should go see if your new best friend Perfuma has a room for you in her castle! Oh, that's right! She doesn't have a castle, she lives in some tent made of leaves. So, have fun living in your stupid leaf tent, I don't even care." </p><p>And then she disappeared in a poof of sparkles. </p><p>Bow stared at the spot where she'd been for a long moment. He'd had this whole speech in his head about friendship and how he was allowed to hang out with other people and she needed to get used to change, even if it was scary. But it seemed pointless and insensitive now. </p><p>This clearly wasn't just about that. Her eyes were red like she’d been crying and even if he still didn't understand exactly what was happening here, he couldn't stand to see her upset, especially not if it was because of him. Plus, he’d really missed hanging out with her today, even if she was being completely ridiculous. </p><p>He watched the waterfall without really seeing it. </p><p>Why had she waited for him all this time only to leave as soon as he got home? It made no sense. And, OK, sometimes Glimmer did things that didn't make sense to other people, but they always made sense to him when you filtered them through Glimmer logic. But nothing about today was adding up, and he couldn't make the pieces click. </p><p>He'd been upgrading the memory in his tracker pad last week, and it took a lot of finesse to get the chip in. It had been an infuriating hour of moving the thing this way and that, trying to get all the pins to line up just right and then it all went in so easily he didn't understand why he hadn’t been able to make it work that way in the first place. This whole thing felt like that. Like if he could just figure out the right angle on this, it wouldn’t be this impossible puzzle. </p><p>Finally he rose and went to his bathroom. He brushed his teeth, washed his face and tried to get out the glitter that was somehow already in his hair. Then he dusted off out his sheets as best as he could, but Glimmer wasn’t any easier to shake there. </p><p>He'd honestly expected her to be back in his room yelling at him by the time he finished washing up, but it was still empty, the shush of the waterfall the only sound.  </p><p>Maybe she wasn't coming back after all. He should go collapse into bed like he'd been planning when he got in here. It was late, they were both tired after a long day. They could sleep on it and deal with everything tomorrow when they were fresh. That was absolutely what he should do.</p><p>He exhaled and headed for the door. He’d walked in stockinged feet down these hallways to Glimmer's room exactly like this since they were kids. He hesitated at her door, listening. If she was asleep, he didn't want to burst in and wake her. </p><p>Inside was the unmistakable sound of magic blasting across the room, followed by the growl of an angry sparkle princess. Bow ran his fingers through his hair. She was mad then, which was all the more reason he should leave her alone. Just turn right around and go to bed. </p><p>He knocked. </p><p>"Go away, Bow." Her voice sounded sniffly and weird. </p><p>"Glimmer, please, tell me what's wrong." He leaned on the door, exhaustion and frustration in equal measure. He heard her storm which gave him a second to jump back before she flung the door open, almost smacking him. </p><p>"I don't want to see you. You even smell like her." She stalked back inside, but she didn't close the door so he edged into the doorway.</p><p>"Who, Perfuma?” Did he? He tried to sniff his jacket. There was a faint floral scent.  </p><p>"Get out! I'm not hanging out with someone who smells like they spent all night making out with a flower princess!" </p><p>"It wasn’t all night!" He’d said it reflexively, but she spun around looking so absolutely stricken that he knew instantly he'd said something wrong. </p><p>“You mean it’s TRUE? You KISSED her?” For a minute he thought she was going to cry but then she growled, blasting pink sparkles into throw pillow with enough force that it exploded into feathers. She rounded on him. “I can't believe you, Bow! You barely know her!”</p><p>"Wait. How do you even know about that?"</p><p>"Everybody knows!" She looked so completely miserable he wanted to rush over and hug her even though he wasn't even sure what was going on and that seemed kind of dangerous right now, given her mood. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Everybody! Everyone on the entire planet knows that you were making out with Perfuma at Princess Prom and not—And that I was—Mermista and Perfuma were talking about it in the bathroom loud enough for anybody to hear."</p><p>"They were?" Mermista knew? She and Perfuma had, like, discussed it? Did that mean Sea Hawk knew too? His face was on fire right now. He tried not to sound too curious. "So, uh... what did they say?" </p><p>“You don’t want to know.” She turned away from him.</p><p>Uh, he really kind of did? </p><p>“Come on, Glimmer! Just tell me! What did they say to you?”</p><p>“Oh, they didn’t say anything to me directly, obviously!” Why would that be obvious? But he didn’t have time to ask, before she was in a full rant, gesticulating around the room. “I was hiding in a stall because… because I just had to go to the bathroom, OK? And Perfuma came in and she was still looking for you after the whole Horde thing and Mermista was all, ‘Sorry, I haven't seen Arrows since you two were sucking face on the balcony.’ and Perfuma was like ‘Oh, tee hee!’ whatever and Mermista was all ‘Was he any good?’ and Perfuma was like, ‘He's such sweet boy. Inexperienced, but there's potential.’ And then Mermista made some sketchy comment I couldn't really hear and Perfuma said something back in this, like, TONE and they both laughed really loud and left the bathroom and... Anyway, Adora and I went home after that.”</p><p>Glimmer’s impressions of her fellow princesses were not exactly flattering. She clenched her fists. They glowed pink like the mere memory of this exchange was making her want to punch something. </p><p>“Okay…” Bow was having a lot of thoughts about the fact that two elemental princesses of Etheria were talking about him in the bathroom at Princess Prom, and most of those thoughts were that he did not like it. The whole “inexperienced” thing was… Well, it was accurate but still. Ouch.  </p><p>“Yeah. Well. Anyway…” Glimmer was back to looking like she was going to cry. </p><p>“So… is that what this whole thing is about? You’re mad at them for talking about me?” He did kind of appreciate her being enraged about this on his behalf. Picturing the reverse, him overhearing someone talking about kissing her in the bathroom, and, yup, that made him so angry he could black out if he thought about it too much. But it still felt like there was something he was missing here. “But that happened like halfway through the night. You were being weird and avoiding me way before them. And it sure seems like you're mad at me right now.”</p><p>“Of course I am! It was bad enough when I thought you just went together, but then you…” Her eyes widened. “I mean, I’m not jealous! Like… Ha! That would be ridiculous! I mean… you can kiss whoever you want. I don't even care! I'm not… I was just... embarrassed... for you. Because Perfuma was all ‘Bow’s a terrible kisser.’”</p><p>“But you said—”</p><p>“It’s clearly what she meant.”</p><p>“Well, that’s not even fair!” OK, yeah, it had been a pretty terrible kiss, but that couldn’t be entirely his fault. She’d been the who started it! He was just standing there innocently thinking he was making a new friend, but then, POW, she was kissing him! But he wasn’t gossiping about that in bathrooms to planetary royalty! </p><p>“Yeah, well.” Glimmer looked pretty miserable, which didn’t make any sense since he was the one whose ego was taking the hit here. He started organizing the bits of exploded throw pillow into a pile with his foot so he didn’t have to look at her. “I’m your best friend, Bow! You should have asked me.”</p><p>“I should have asked you before I kissed someone? THAT’S what you’re mad at me about?” </p><p>“Wait, what? No! I meant, ask me to the… Uh… Actually, yeah. Because... then I could have, you know, helped. So you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself.”</p><p>Bow crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. "Like you know so much more about kissing? How many people have you kissed?" </p><p>She didn’t answer because the answer was zero. At least... he was pretty sure it was zero. Glimmer would have told him if she'd kissed someone, right? I mean, she was his best friend and best friends had to tell each other if they kissed someone because... well, just because! </p><p>Though he hadn’t told her about Perfuma. </p><p>But he would have! </p><p>Eventually! </p><p>Probably… </p><p>He was having a non-zero amount of panic at the realization that Glimmer had maybe kissed someone else... someone. But only because she didn't tell him and that violated their sacred bond as friends and WHO was this person, WHAT were their intentions, did they even deserve her because... uh... what had he even been thinking about?</p><p>"I know plenty about kissing." Glimmer waved her hand around vaguely. "I read books. Books about kissing and romance and.. things. Way more than you anyway!" </p><p>Oh, OK, so she was full of crap. Was it weird how relieved he was about that right now? </p><p>"So, you know way more about kissing than me, huh?" He sincerely doubted it given he'd grown up with twelve older siblings and gotten a pretty good impression of how it all worked, thank you very much. But since Glimmer knew nothing about his family, he couldn’t exactly make that case. Besides, she was completely full of it and he was still annoyed enough at her to want to make her sweat about this for a while longer. "Well, then, let's hear it! Come on."</p><p>"What? Now?" Glimmer's eyes widened. "But… What's the point? You've already made a fool of yourself! So, it's too late!"</p><p>"Uh, no. Tonight's not the last time I ever kiss someone." He hoped not anyway. That would be kind of sad. "And you said that was the reason you were mad at me. So, go on. Teach me what you know."</p><p>He sat crossed legged on the window seat, resting his chin on his hands like the attentive pupil. Glimmer took a step back, clearly horrified he’d called her bluff. Good. </p><p>"I will not teach you how to kiss some other... It's late, I'm going to bed. It's not important."</p><p>"It's important enough that it's the whole reason you're mad at me, isn't it?” He grinned at her. It was like this game of chicken now. Because he knew she was full of it and she knew he knew she was full of it, but it was just a matter of who was going to crack first. Well, it sure wasn't going to be him. “Unless there's some other—"</p><p>"No! Or… Ugh! Look, the whole… the real…” She growled and pressed her fingers to her temple. He clasped his hands in his lap to show he was waiting. “Oh, damn it. Fine. Fine! I’ll do it. Just… give me a second." </p><p>He tried to hide his smile as he mimed taking out a notebook and pen as if getting ready to take notes. He’d really figured she’d bail before it got to this point, but if she wanted to dig herself in deeper, that was fine with him. And if this complete farce is what it took for her to stop being mad at him, he was happy to play along.  </p><p>Glimmer paced back and forth. “So there are... levels of kissing, I guess. The first is, like, a peck, right? What you'd give your aunt on the cheek but, like softer and slower and... on the lips.”</p><p>"Peck. Got it." He made a show of pretending to write it down. </p><p>Glimmer blew out a long exhale. "So then there's like... the next level. Which is... I don't know... more advanced lips stuff."</p><p>"Lip stuff?" Bow laughed out loud that time. He couldn't help it. She was so hopelessly flustered and it was hilarious. </p><p>"You know what I mean!" She was pink all the way to her ears. </p><p>"Hmm, nope, sorry I don't because you're the kissing expert. So why don't you enlighten me?" He was playing with fire, but she deserved this after being such a pill all night.</p><p>"It's when you... move your lips around? Like a peck, your lips are just..." she made two little mouths out of her hands and made them kiss. "Mwah. One quick touch, you know? But level two is all..." She moved her two hands against each other.</p><p>"It looks like you're trying to unscrew a lug nut." He was laughing fully now and Glimmer tried to keep a serious face, but she was laughing too. </p><p>"Well, that's because it's hard to show with hands! It's…” She pursed her lips and raised her hand halfway to her lips before she hesitated. “I don’t know, haven't you ever practiced kissing on your hand?"</p><p>"No. Is that a thing?" It had never actually occurred to him to practice kissing at all before. But it made a kind of sense. He wouldn’t take a new type of arrow out into battle without trying it out at home first. He lifted his hand to his lips and then put it back down, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious about the idea of doing that in front of Glimmer. "Are you sure people really do this? They sit around and practice kissing their hands?"</p><p>"Yes! Gods, you really made a total fool of yourself tonight, didn't you? If you don't practice, how do you know that you're making your lips soft enough or you're not slobbering too much?" </p><p>As much as he hated to admit it, she was making a lot of good points right now. That kiss with Perfuma had been really wet, and he'd had basically no idea what to do with his lips except stand there. </p><p>"OK, but what about the tongue stuff? I don’t think I like the tongue stuff."</p><p>“You kissed her with TONGUE? Are you kidding me?” Glimmer stared at him, her body completely still.  “Bow! Your freaking tongue was in her mouth?”</p><p>"Technically, I don’t know if it ever exactly made it into her mouth, hers was so far down my—Glimmer? Are you OK?" </p><p>Glimmer looked like she was going to throw up. She hugged her arms to herself and shook her head. "Forget it. I’m just going to go to bed. This whole thing is stupid." </p><p>"Hey, no it isn't." He jumped to his feet, but she moved away from him. She looked so upset. He had to do something. "You were right! I know absolutely nothing about this. I probably am a terrible kisser. This was really helpful! With what you told me already, my next kiss will easily be 100 times better."</p><p>"Oh, great." She rolled her eyes and, oh shoot, she was definitely crying now. </p><p>What had he done? How was he screwing this up so badly? They’d been laughing about it a minute ago. She’d said this was what she was mad about, so why was she still acting so weird?</p><p>"Come on, what's the next part of the lesson. Like... uh… I had my eyes open, and she was SO CLOSE and it was really awkward but then I was like, shoot, maybe I should close them. How do you know when to close them?"</p><p>"I don't know. Before!" She sniffed, unwilling to look at him.</p><p>"But then what if you miss?"</p><p>"How are you going to miss? You're right next to them! It's not like you're getting a running head start!" She wiped at her cheeks with her glove but it did nothing to stop the flow of tears. </p><p>"I don't want to lean in and kiss their nose or something!" He had to keep her talking about this because he wasn’t sure what else to do and every minute she was upset was like a physical pain digging directly into his heart. "Can I put my hand on their face?"</p><p>"I don't know, OK? I know nothing about any of this!" She slumped down on the window seat, tears flowing freely now, looking utterly miserable. "You're the one who's out there kissing people. I'm the one left behind, all alone, with nobody to kiss but her own hand."</p><p>"What? No! Glimmer!” He sat down on the window seat next to her, taking both her hands in his. “People are going to want to kiss you! I would kiss you! Uh, hypothetically, of course, not… I mean, you’re my best friend, it’s not like we’d really…" </p><p>Gods, WHY, had he said that? She was crying even harder now and he couldn’t take it. He had to say something, anything to make her stop. </p><p>"Wait! That's it! You should kiss me!"</p><p>Glimmer looked completely disgusted with him. </p><p>"No, listen. This is a good idea." This was a terrible idea, but he felt weirdly invested in it all of a sudden. "You said it yourself, we can't really learn how to do this stuff on hands. And we both have no idea what we're doing! And… and best friends do everything together, right? So... instead of practicing on our hands... we practice on each other! With each other. Whatever."</p><p>Glimmer stared at him for a very long time and he couldn’t figure out her expression but she’d stopped crying so that had to be a good sign, right? He wasn’t sure how he’d ever felt tired, he could barely sit still right now. After what seemed like a really long time of nothing but listening to his own thudding heart, Glimmer slowly shook her head. </p><p>"Bow, I appreciate that you’re trying to make me feel better, but..." She trailed off, her voice still rough from crying. With a groan, she slumped backwards onto the pillows, her arm over her face. </p><p>"We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He shifted, so he was a little closer to her. “It’s not a real kiss, anyway. Just for practice!" </p><p>“Right.” Glimmer exhaled, her shoulders slumping. When she finally sat back up, her face was bright pink all the way to her ears. She glanced down at his lips, her tongue slipping out to moisten her lips. “I guess we could try it once.”</p><p>"OK! Good!” Had someone just turned the heat up or something? And what was this weird twisty feeling in his gut all of a sudden. “Then... we'll just, uh..." </p><p>This had seemed like such a good idea a minute ago. Now it felt like his heart was trying to make a break for it out his throat and it was impossible to swallow it back down into place. </p><p>He opened his mouth and closed it again. For the first time in all these years of knowing Glimmer, he had absolutely no idea what to say to her.</p><p>"So, uh..." </p><p>"Are we going to..."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess we should... um..."</p><p>He wiped his palms on his suit pants because they were suddenly all sweaty. Gods, he wasn't this nervous when he was actually kissing Perfuma. It was just Glimmer! The person he was the most comfortable with in the entire world. Why was he suddenly so flustered about this?</p><p>"OK, so I guess we should just do it, right?" Glimmer said in a casual voice that would be much more believable if she wasn't flushed bright red to her ears and couldn't seem to make eye contact with him to save her life. She shimmied herself a little closer, though their faces were still kind of far apart. "I think you're going to have to, like, lean forward?"</p><p>"Oh, sure. Right. Yeah." He leaned forward, feeling absolutely awkward and not even a little natural. She must have leaned forward too, because her face was suddenly a lot closer. </p><p>And it was just Glimmer. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her face a million times before. But her eyes were so sparkly up close and her hair looked really soft and… Had Glimmer always been this pretty? Because she looked really pretty right now. And there was something about her eyes. He just couldn’t stop looking into them, even though it was giving him this weird tingly feeling, almost like he was tipping off the edge of something, falling into—</p><p>"Bow?" She was watching him, her forehead crinkled.</p><p>"What? Uh, yeah. Sorry.” He felt weird, like his brain had just teleported back to join the rest of his body. He had to get a hold of himself. ”So, uh, did we ever figure out when we close our eyes?”</p><p>"I guess we just... close them now." Glimmer closed her eyes and took a breath like she was getting ready to dive underwater. </p><p>Bow closed one eye, but he was still a little worried about missing, so he kept the other open just in case. </p><p>Wow. She looked really pretty with her eyes closed too. He’d never been close enough before to notice how even her eyelashes sparkled. Her nose was so cute and he had the weirdest urge to put a little kiss on the end of it or maybe like rub his nose against hers like they did when they were kids goofing around. </p><p>She leaned towards him, and he shut his other eye. Her face was so close that he could feel the warmth of her skin against his and hear her soft breathing. She exhaled, warm against his face, and it was all suddenly taking way too long and he couldn’t take another second without—</p><p>"Wait!" He opened his eyes to see Glimmer barely an inch from his face, her eyes open too. "Are you going to tilt your head or should I?"</p><p>"Uh, I don't know. Is that something we have to do?"</p><p>"Well, yeah, otherwise our noses will bump together." </p><p>"OK, well, I'll do it." Bow offered at the same time that Glimmer said, "I'll just do it." </p><p>They both tilted the same direction before Bow switched and they laughed, which was a welcome release from… whatever this was. Glimmer was watching him, chewing on her lower lip and looking so adorable he decided he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to kiss her right now. He leaned forward to do exactly that when Glimmer suddenly jumped up.</p><p>"Wait! I need to brush my teeth!" </p><p>Then Bow was suddenly leaning in to kiss absolutely nothing as she disappeared in a poof of sparkles. There was a weird empty feeling in the pit of his stomach and he stood, something unfamiliar buzzing around inside him. He could hear her in her bathroom brushing her teeth.</p><p>But then she’d clearly finished, and he waited, but she still she didn't come out. That probably wasn’t good. After what seemed like a long time, he made his way over to the bathroom door and leaned alongside it. </p><p>"You OK?" </p><p>The door opened, and Glimmer stood there, hugging her arm around herself. </p><p>"No, Bow. I am not OK. I don't... I’ve been looking forward to tonight for YEARS and I always thought we’d..." She exhaled and a single tear pooled in the corner of her eye before she wiped it away with a balled hand. "This isn't how tonight was supposed to go." </p><p>"I know." </p><p>And that was his fault. The more time he thought about it, the more he felt like maybe Glimmer wasn't the one being weird about this, he was. She'd been talking to him about going to Princess Prom for years and even if she never specifically said she planned on going with him, he should have realized that of course she did. </p><p>They did everything together. Every milestone, every rite of passage, side by side. Or they had until today.   </p><p>And maybe it was silly to think it would always be that way. It’s not like you could just date your best friend and check all those relationship firsts off together. But now he didn't know what to do. She looked so sad but since nobody could wind back time and smack him upside the head so he actually went as her date… </p><p>"Wait! I have an idea!"</p><p>Glimmer looked bewildered when he ran across the room to her vanity, grabbing the little jeweled music box she'd had there as long as he'd known her. He wound it as far as it could go, the pretty tinkling melody they'd practiced dancing to a million times softly spreading through the awkward silence. Then he made his way back over to her and offered his hand. </p><p>“Dance with me.”</p><p>She stared at him for so long he was going to suggest they forget all about it, but then she put her hand in his and he couldn't stop from breaking into a huge grin. He wasn't sure why, but he raised her hand to his mouth and gave her a quick peck on her glove before pulling her towards him. They turned automatically into the familiar steps of one of the basic dances they'd had to do at dozens of formal events. </p><p>“Are you leading or am I?” She asked, as they both turned at the same time and crashed into each other. </p><p>“I have no idea,” he admitted. She laughed, making him feel warm all over. The tempo of the music box wasn't quite right for the dance, but they found their own rhythm, twisting and twirling to the music. </p><p>When she spun around him, her skirt flaring out with the spin, he could almost imagine that they really had done this at the Prom. Just the two of them, smiling and laughing and messing up all the steps but not caring because they were having fun together. Like they always done since forever. </p><p>He lifted her above his head and spun them until she laughed, loud and happy, his favorite sound in the world. </p><p>“Aah! Too much spinning!” She called finally, breathless, clutching at his shoulders. He set her back on the floor and she staggered, dizzy. He caught her hips so he wouldn’t fall over, and she laughed into his suit front until she caught her breath.</p><p>It took him a full minute to realize that the music had stopped. She lay her head against his chest and he was suddenly aware of exactly how fast his heart was beating. Too fast to only be from the dancing. They weren't really doing any kind of proper dance now, just swaying while holding each other.  He leaned down so his cheek brushed against the top of her head, resting it against her perfectly soft hair. </p><p>He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, only that it was too soon when Glimmer exhaled and lifted her head to look at him. </p><p>"The music stopped." She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her voice sounded small, and she looked ready to cry again. </p><p>"Yeah. It did." </p><p>And then he kissed her. It was only for a second, but it was soft and warm and nice. When he pulled back to look at her and make sure he hadn't completely screwed everything up, he knew immediately that one kiss would not be enough. He absolutely needed to do it again. </p><p>“I—” Glimmer opened her eyes. They were wide with something a little like panic. </p><p>"When did you close your eyes?” His voice sounded weird and husky but he knew he if didn’t say something she’d teleport out of his arms and whatever this was would be broken. “I forgot to pay attention."</p><p>"I, uh… I didn't notice either." She chewed her lip and watched him, her brow crinkling. </p><p>“Oh.” He thought of a million things and couldn't form any of them into words. He was thinking maybe he really had screwed everything up and should just go when Glimmer slid her hands off his shoulders and braced them against his chest, playing with the lapels on his jacket. </p><p>"Maybe we should…” She flicked her eyes up to his and he completely forgot how to breathe. “… try it again and pay attention this time?"</p><p>He did not need to be told twice. They both leaned in way too fast this time and bumped noses, but she laughed against him and they figured it out. By the time he realized he'd forgotten to notice when he’d closed his eyes this time too, she'd caught his bottom lip between hers, the sensation sending a thrill through his entire body. He moved his mouth against hers, not even sure what he was doing, only that he needed more of it. </p><p>The taste of her, the feel of her in his arms, the soft sweet smell of her skin, the way her hair felt when he slid his fingers around her head so he could pull her closer. It was all familiar but thrilling and new at the same time. Even when things went wrong—he tried to do that lip capture thing she'd done to him and only kind of nipped at the edge of her mouth—it was still exactly right. The realization was like electricity buzzing through his system, and he suddenly couldn't remember a time when he didn't want to do exactly this. Kiss Glimmer, forever. </p><p>And he didn't want to compare it, but he couldn't help but think about how this was way, way better than that kiss he'd had earlier today. This wasn't a battleground. It was a conversation, the two of them figuring each other out. And he wasn't sure right now if that was because Glimmer was a better kisser... or if the kiss was automatically better because it was with Glimmer. </p><p>She sighed against his mouth, her warm breath minty and sweet, and it awoke something in him, something that wanted her to be much, much closer. It occurred to him then that maybe the tongue thing might not be so bad under the right circumstances. He parted her lips with his, brushing the tip of his tongue experimentally against hers, and it was like a shock wave through his entire system. </p><p>OK, yeah, he really liked that and apparently so did she because her hands were back around his neck, pulling him closer. It was like a game, darting gently against each other, trying to figure out how much was enough to make her make another happy sigh or tiny squeak without it being overwhelming. </p><p>He considering lifting her up and moving them over to the window seat to make this a little more comfortable when she suddenly pulled away. He opened his eyes to see her looking up at him, her face flushed, her lips pink and puffy. She was breathing heavily, and he realized he was lightheaded, his heart racing like he'd run a marathon. </p><p>"Are we..." She tucked her hair behind her ear, her hands shaking. "…still practicing?"</p><p>"No, I think we've got it." He leaned down, ready to go in for more, but she shook her head. </p><p>"I can't do this. I can't." She moved away, agitated. He let her go, even though every part of him wanted her close.</p><p>"Glimmer, what's wrong?” He swallowed, flushing. “Was it really that bad?" </p><p>She turned back at him, her face pinched. "It wasn’t bad… it’s… Bow, don't you see?"</p><p>Bow did not see. He had actually not really been seeing whatever was going on this whole day. He searched her face for answers but kept getting distracted by her lips, the need to kiss her again making it too hard to think about anything else. Glimmer growled. </p><p>“Gods, I thought… but it hurts too much to pretend.” She covered her face with both hands. “For years, I’ve been imagining how tonight would go. How we’d go together and dance and I wouldn’t have to risk everything to tell you, we’d just be there, dressed up, having fun and you’d… figure it out.”</p><p>She lowered her hands and looked at him, looking crushed and defeated and nothing like the Glimmer he knew. And she’d just told him something important, clearly, something he was supposed to have understood, but he still had no more idea of what was going on than he did when he walked in here. </p><p>“Figure out… what?” </p><p>"ARGH! I don't want to practice kiss you, you idiot! I want to real kiss you!” She exhaled, a long frustrated sound, and he couldn’t do anything but stand there and stare back, dumbstruck. “Damn it, Bow! I like you, OK? Like, LIKE like you. And I’ve spent so long building this whole thing up in my head that tonight would make you realize that you like me too and wanted to be my date for everything from now on or maybe even my boyfriend but you obviously don’t feel the same and now I’ve made a—”</p><p>“Wait a minute. That’s an option?” You could date your best friend? Bow’s brain was racing, trying to catch up with all this new information. Like you could just… kiss and cuddle the person who already matters to you the most? Wow! Talk about a game-changer! Does everybody know about this? “You mean I could… be your boyfriend and we could hang out and goof around like we always do, but then also get to kiss and stuff?”</p><p>Glimmer stared at him, her mouth hanging open for a long moment before she finally said, “Uh… yeah?”</p><p>“Well, that’s a great idea! Why didn’t you just say so?” His chest felt like it was expanding like a balloon and he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “Of course I want to be your boyfriend! There’s nobody else on the planet I’d rather be with! Wait!” He gasped. “Does this mean we could get married someday? Glimmer! That would be amazing!”</p><p>From how high Glimmer’s eyebrows went up, that was probably the wrong thing to say, but he didn’t really have a filter right now. His entire future was completely rearranging itself in front of him in the best way, a zillion wonderful possibilities that had never even occurred to him to want before now. He flung his arms around Glimmer, hugging her so tight he lifted her off the ground. </p><p>When he finally put her back down, she was still blinking at him like he was speaking First Ones. But he was practically bouncing out of his socks. Just like that, everything finally clicked into place. </p><p>“Oh! Wait, so… you were jealous? Like, this whole time I couldn’t figure out what your deal was but now it all makes so much more sense that—” </p><p>“Bow.” She put a finger on his lips and he totally lost track of what he was saying. The side of her mouth turned up in a little smirk and there was this absolutely incredible look on her face, one he'd never seen before and it was giving him all sorts of new tingly feelings. </p><p>“Uh, yeah?”</p><p>“You know, for a smart guy, you’re really dense sometimes.” She leaned up and kissed him. Somehow it was even better than last time. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, he realized with a thrill that they could just do this now, whenever they wanted. When she pulled away, she was smiling, the twinkle back in her eyes, as if it was just occurring to her that, for all the detours, her evening had ended up exactly where she’d wanted it to anyway. “So, did you ever figure out when to close your eyes?”</p><p>“No, I keep forgetting to notice!” He followed her to the window seat. She gestured for him to sit next to her. “And I’m still not sure about the head tilt thing.” </p><p>“Well…” She climbed into his lap, sending heat spreading throughout his body. She played with the edge of his suit collar, tugging him towards to her. “I guess we’ll just have to keep practicing.” </p><p>She came in for a single deep kiss and he pulled her closer, her skirt crinkling between them. He was going to be completely covered with glitter, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. As he ran his fingers across the stretch of bare skin between her dress straps, he couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t been doing this kissing thing all along. </p><p>Kissing your best friend. </p><p>I mean, who knew?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If it would enhance your enjoyment to read exactly what happened between Bow and Perfuma at Princess Prom (and that really bad kiss), it's the same as happens in my other fic, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315326"><em>The Wrong Princess Prom</em></a> except he and Glimmer never get a chance to talk and he doesn't get captured by the Horde. </p><p>I would love to hear what people think of this one! If you wanted to tell me your favorite lines, i would not be mad about it!</p><p>But! This is the last section I have planned and that means this fic is finally marked COMPLETE!</p><p>I was not allowing myself to start another multi-chapter fic until I finished one of the other ones so that means you're going to start getting my big Season Five from the Glimbow perspective Going There before the end of the year! That one is basically first kisses we really did have so I hope you'll check it out! I have been calling it my Glimbow Opus and I... may not actually be joking.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are always hugely appreciated no matter how long after posting it is!</p><p>Visit my Tumblr for asks, fic updates and misc thoughts. <a href="https://tippenfunkaport.tumblr.com/">https://tippenfunkaport.tumblr.com</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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